burn
by arborealstops
Summary: [polygamy] [Jefferson x Madison x Eliza] [lowercase for the aesthetic ] she didn't know how it had happened, or why. all eliza knew was that she was running away from lost love.
1. Chapter 1

she didn't know how she hadn't seen it coming sooner. alexander had been distant for months, not responding to texts and ignoring her calls. eliza had always just figured that it had been school or work that had been stressing him out. now, however, she realized that she couldn't have been more wrong.

"alex- alexander-" a voice panted from inside eliza's bedroom. there was a squeaking noise that she recognized as the bed, and a few soft moans that were definitely from alex.

eliza gritted her teeth. _don't cry, don't cry,_ she told herself, but it was no use. she stood outside the door, preparing herself for what she had to do. when she finally pushed the door open, the tears were streaming down her face.

the door bounced off the wall with a loud bang, the handle leaving a sizeable dent. on the bed, which earlier had been perfectly made with eliza's favorite sheets, alexander and the woman sprang apart. now that she was in the room, she finally got a good look at her. her dark skin was flushed in embarrassment, her curly hair flying out wildly from the activities that had just been interrupted.

"eliza-"

alexander began trying to explain, but eliza cut him off.

"how could you?" her voice was shriller than she had expected, more broken than she wanted. "how could you do something like this?" she tried wiping the tears from her eyes, but it was no use. "i've given you everything. _everything._ just so you could turn around and- and- and sleep with some- some _whore?"_ she glared at alexander, who gaped back, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly before attempting to stammer out an explanation.

next to him, the girl gasped as she held a pillow over her torso. eliza realized that the girl probably hadn't known, but she couldn't bring herself to feel bad for what she had said. all she felt was an empty, hollow feeling in her chest. an aching pain that had been created by the man she loved, the man she had done everything for, the man she had angered her father to be with.

ignoring whatever Alexander was trying to say, eliza ran from the room, out of their shared apartment, and out into the rainy street.

 **[a/n: wow sorry about last time, uh, something got messed up? so i re-published the correct and edited version]**


	2. Chapter 2

**[tw: attempted rape; read at your own risk]**

eliza hardly noticed the cold droplets of water that pelted her skin. in fact, she didn't notice much of anything. she stumbled through puddles and mud with no regard for the weather or her clothes. she only made it a few yards before she collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk. she sat there, soaked and muddy, tears streaming over her cheeks. she didn't want to move. she didn't want to do anything at all. she would have stayed there all night if someone hadn't grabbed her arm.

she was pulled to her feet and she finally looked up. it was hard to see through the tears and the rain, but she saw a tall man, muscular and blonde. using the hand that the man wasn't holding, she wiped her eyes, seeing a man she recognized faintly as someone who went to school with alexander. thinking of him brought on a fresh wave of tears.

"you look like you might need some help," the man said. his voice was deep and his eyes were glittering with a malicious glint, but eliza hardly noticed. "my name is george king."

at the name, a memory flashed back to eliza: alex, ranting about a student named george king, who was constantly abusing his girlfriends and getting into fights with other students. he was one of the most homophobic, racist, and rude students in alex's entire school.

and yet, here he was, offering her help. she hesitated briefly then nodded. "i'm-"

"i know who you are, miss schuyler," he replied with a smirk, his hand moving from her arm to her waist.

even in her teary state, eliza could tell something wasn't right, but her mind couldn't seem to grasp what it was. "mister king..." she whispered, unsure of what to say and unable to move.

"king works just fine." she flinched as he pressed his lips to hers. the kiss wasn't gentle, it wasn't what a kiss was supposed to be. it wasn't caring, or kind, it was rough, needy. eliza gasped, trying to pull away, but george's hands held her in place. she tried to scream, but no sound came out. all she could do was silently hope that someone would notice-

suddenly george's pressure disappeared from her body and eliza heard a loud _thud._ unable to stand any longer she dropped to her knees on the pavement. this time, no tears escaped her lips. she couldn't bring herself to cry out, to open her eyes, to move.

she felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched away. "don't touch me!" her voice was barely a whisper, but she opened her eyes and glared at the figure looming over her, trying to seem stronger.

"it's okay, i'm not going to hurt you." the voice wasn't king's. she recognized it, but she couldn't quite place where she had hear it before. "miss schuyler, are you alright? did he- did he?"

she shook her head and finally gave her rescuer a good look. he was short, that much she could tell, but she couldn't see his face. not until he moved into the pooling light from the streetlamp. she let out a soft gasp. "james," she breathed, before the stress and exhaustion got the best of her and the world went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

the first thing eliza noticed when she woke was the smell. it smelled heavenly, of bacon and eggs and waffles and orange juice. her first thought was of how sweet alexander was, making all of this for her...

as soon as she opened her eyes, reality flooded in. she didn't recognize the room she was in. it wasn't her bedroom. it wasn't a bedroom at all. she was lying on a couch in someone's living room. but why-?

tears flooded her eyes as she remembered the events of the day before; what had happened with alexander, and with george, and how james, a friend from her english class, had found her in the streets. so that must mean...

"miss schuyler! you're awake!" james stood before her, a bright smile on his face. "are you feeling alright? would you like some breakfast?"

she nodded mutely, her brain still trying to catch up to the previous night's events.

james's face brightened and he nodded, beginning to walk away. he paused in the doorway, though, and added a comment over his shoulder: "don't be surprised if thomas walks in."

thomas jefferson. he must mean thomas jefferson, she thought. she had heard from alexander that the two were practically inseparable. she nodded again and looked around the room, trying to sort out everything that had happened.

there was a television in the corner. i walked in on alexander and some woman. a bookshelf filled with old books and plays stood proudly by the front door. i left alexander. there was a coffee table with an old crossword puzzle and a chipped mug right in front of her. i ran into george king... quite literally. a vase of flowers rested on a windowsill. james rescued me.

in the corner of the room was a piano. it looked like it hadn't been touched in months, or perhaps even years. eliza's fingers yearned to fly across the keys, to let out her pain through music, but someone interrupted her thoughts.

"miss schuyler?"

eliza looked up to see thomas jefferson standing in the doorway. she gave him a small smile and nodded for him to come in.

he looked a lot less intimidating in flannel pajama pants and an old sweatshirt than he did in his usual button-up and khakis. it also didn't help that he had bags under his eyes and was holding a chipped mug that read "bonjour y'all" or that he was sitting in an old rocking chair. despite all of that, the genuine concern in his voice still surprised her.

"may... may i ask what happened?" thomas leaned forward, sipping his coffee. he didn't seem to want to pressure her for an answer, but she didn't really believe that he would take no for an answer, either.

"well-"

she was cut off by james. "breakfast, m'lady." the man whisked in and placed a plate on eliza's lap. "bon appetite!"

eliza gave him a soft smile. "thank you, james," she practically whispered, but she didn't miss the way his eyes brightened. she offered him a small smile, but then thomas quietly cleared his throat, and eliza flinched. "right. well... let me eat breakfast, and then we can talk, okay?"

the boys nodded and eliza flashed them a grin before digging in.

 **[the beginning chapters are so bad i'm so so sorry]**


	4. Chapter 4

"miss schuyler-?" thomas and james had let her finish her breakfast in peace, but now that it was gone, she knew that she owed them an explanation. still, she hesitated before speaking.

"none of this can be shared. not for alexander's reputation, but for mine. understood?"

both men nodded and she relaxed a little bit.

"first of all, call me Lizzy. Next- next-" her voice broke and she silently cursed herself for being so emotional.

"alexander," she finally gasped. "i should have known."

she told them of the flirty letters she had found around the apartment, of alexander's distance, and, finally, of actually catching them in the act. when she described that, both men let out loud gasps. when she finally finished her tale, her cheeks were yet again covered with tears.

she didn't notice the glance shared between thomas and james before james finally knelt next to her and pulled her into his arms. neither of them spoke- thomas and james both realized that nothing they said or did could fix this, and what eliza really needed was to cry it out.

james held eliza until she finished crying, at which point thomas offered her a box of tissues, which she gratefully accepted. "i don't know where i'm going to go," she blubbered. "my dad is so far away and i can't go back to- to alexander's."

james hardly hesitated before he replied. "you could stay here with us..."

thomas let out a slightly strangled noise and james quickly backpedaled.

"i mean, if that's okay with you. you do t have to, of course."

eliza tilted her head, considering for a moment. she didn't know these men well, but here they were, offering her shelter. they had already given her so much, which gave her reason to trust them. and, aside from that, she couldn't help imagining alexander's face when he discovered that she was living with his worst rival.

a small smile graced her lips. "thank you," she whispered. "you're not as bad as alexander says."

she let out a small yawn as thomas smiled. "i'll take that as a compliment, miss- lizzy," he corrected himself. "now, you've had quite the ordeal... you should just relax today. we could watch a movie?"

james nodded encouragingly, and eliza nodded back.

"sounds beautiful."

 **[hello you beautiful lovely wonderful people. i wrote this chapter and chapter three at about two in the morning, so if there are errors, just let me know.]**


	5. Chapter 5

despite the fact that she was the guest, it seemed that eliza didn't get a choice on what movie they watched. not that she minded much. the little mermaid had always been one of her favorites, as well as thomas's, it seemed.

together, the three of them piled into the couch; thomas on the right, james the left, and eliza right in between the two of them.

"thank you again," she whispered softly to james, as thomas hummed the music at the beginning of the movie.

glancing at her quickly, james smiled. "it's nothing," he replied, his cheeks tinting slightly. "honest."

still, eliza was grateful. despite the fact that they hardly knew each other, thomas and james had offered to let her into their apartment. briefly, she wondered how two college students managed to afford a place like this- two bedrooms, a full bathroom, a kitchen/dining room, and a living room could all be found in their apartment- but it didn't seem like her business.

somehow, of course, her thoughts wandered and floated back to alexander. but this time, different memories were brought forth: how she had met alex at the bodega on the corner, how they used to take walks together through the park, holding hands and eating ice cream, and how alex had gotten so drunk at a party that he accidentally kissed john laurens instead of her (it's a long story, but it involves seeing double).

now, though, she was trying to figure out where they could have met up. had alexander met the other woman on campus? at the café where he worked? in class? she couldn't shake the images of the two of them, arms around each others' waists, feeding the ducks in the park, or sharing a milkshake, or eating together at eliza's favorite restaurant.

suddenly she felt her eyes fill with tears. "excuse me, please," she muttered, not meeting either james or thomas's eyes as she stood.

she felt their eyes on her back as she walked as calmly as she could out of the living room and to the bathroom. suddenly she collapsed on the floor, legs curled under her and her back against the closed door. a choked sob escaped her lips, and she curled up into a ball, letting the sobs rip through her, her tears splattering the tiles floor.

after what could have easily been anywhere from a matter of minutes to a few hours, eliza heard a soft knock on the door.

"lizzy?" james's voice came through the door, a mixture of nervousness and worry. "are- are you okay?"

as eliza hurriedly wiped her tears away, she heard thomas muttering something to james.

"of course she's not okay, dumbass. don't ask if she's okay, ask if she needs something."

"oh." came james's whispered reply. "um, lizzy, do you-" james's question was cut off as eliza opened the door.

she knew she looked like hell, but there was a tiny smile on her face. these two dorks...

"no, i'm not really okay, but that's not your fault." she sighed heavily. "and i will be eventually. okay, i mean."

james's shoulders relaxed slightly, and thomas let out a loud sigh of relief.

"so, do you need anything?" thomas finally finished james's earlier question, and eliza tilted her head slightly.

"does this place have any food?"


	6. Chapter 6

"thomas i fucking swear if you're making macaroni again-"

"it's not that bad!"

"lizzy, tell thomas that macaroni and fucking cheese is not a meal!"

"lizzy tell james that macaroni and cheese was a delicacy in france and that it is perfectly delicious."

eliza glanced between the two men, a half-amused, half-nervous smile on her face. "macaroni is-"

"-fucking delicious!"

"-absolutely repulsive." thomas and james interrupted her with their respective opinions on the meal.

"-fine..." eliza finished quietly, but neither of them seemed to hear her. thomas and james were having an intense glare-off, and she was caught in the middle of it. after glancing back and forth between them for a full minute, she cleared her throat.

"how about... i cook?"

that grabbed their attention. they looked away from each other and their gazes flashed to eliza.

"no, no, you're our guest! it wouldn't be right!" james exclaimed.

thomas muttered something and both eliza and james turned to look at him.

he met eliza's questioning gaze. slowly, he repeated, "be... our... guest!"

james groaned, but eliza let out a little snort of laughter. james lightly shoved her shoulder. "don't encourage him!"

but thomas had already continued.

"be our guest! put our service to the test!"

grinning, eliza joined in, spinning around the kitchen as she sang. "tie your napkin 'round your neck chérie, and we'll provide the rest." with a twirl, she grabbed james's hand. "come on!"

grudgingly, he joined in. "soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres, why we only live to serve."

together, the three of them continued the song, giggling and spinning around the room and crashing into each other, which only caused them to laugh more.

"it's a guest, it's a guest!" eliza sang out as the boys applauded her. "sakes alive and i'll be-"

she was cut off as a phone rang. thomas and james both booed in the direction of the device, but eliza walked over and picked it up, looking at the screen.

there was no name, but she recognized the number as one she had deleted from her phone:

"alexander."

with that, the mood was killed. eliza held the phone in front of her, unsure of what to do, and the boys were frozen, just as unsure as she was.

should she answer it? what would she say? what would he say?

"ignore it," thomas finally spoke up, then yelped as james kicked his shin. "what? that's what she should do."

"but that's her choice to make."

thomas let out a sigh but didn't argue.

that left eliza, staring at the screen. she knew that james was right. it was her choice.

but at the same time, what could alex possibly say that would be worth hearing?

with that thought, she pressed ignore, then powered down the phone completely before turning back to thomas and james.

"did you say something about macaroni?"

after a few seconds' hesitation, thomas let out a cheer, high-fiving eliza as james groaned good-naturedly. suddenly all thoughts of cheating ex-boyfriends were, for the moment, forgotten, and the apartment was once again filled with playful banter.


	7. Chapter 7

"strawberry is definitely the best, come on!"

"but blueberry-"

"cinnamon is better than both, so shut up."

with that, eliza tossed a box of cinnamon pop-tarts into the cart and sashayed away, a small grin flitting over her lips. behind her, james and thomas shared a look, then, pushing the cart together, they followed her, gaping like idiots.

when they caught up to eliza, she had dropped the smirk and was grinning happily. with a laugh, she jumped onto the front of the cart. "do you know what's next on the list?" she asked playfully.

james groaned and rolled his eyes as thomas grinned.

"mac and cheese!" they shouted together.

"i don't know these people, i am not associated with them in any way, i do not know who they are." james muttered, but he was smiling.

eliza hopped off of the cart, linking her arm with james's as they walked through the aisles.

suddenly letting out a gasp, she let go of james and turned around, walking backward. "james..." she began, blinking innocently.

sighing, he raised an eyebrow. "lizzy."

"can we get ice cream?"

next to james, thomas let out a bark of laughter and james shook his head, grinning.

in other circumstances, eliza probably would have just grabbed it herself, but given that she didn't have a job and therefore couldn't help pay for groceries, she didn't want to make thomas and james buy everything that she decided she wanted. they were already doing enough, having let her live with them for the last week or so. she refused to be a burden.

"so?" she prompted, giving james her best puppy eyes.

james nodded, grinning ruefully. "fine, we can get..."

suddenly the smile slid off of james's face, and he looked almost scared of eliza. no. not eliza. something behind her.

"james?" she glanced at thomas, who was glaring over her shoulder. "are you-"

"eliza?"

the voice was familiar. she knew who it was before she even turned around.

that didn't stop the lump in her throat or the emptiness in her chest when she actually saw him.

alexander.

 **[idk which is scarier; me actually updating or alexander showing up.]**


	8. Chapter 8

**[the madison interlude]**

the first thing that came to james's mind was that lizzy needed to get out. he couldn't see her face, but her shoulders were tense and she looked like she was either going to punch him or break down.

he took a defensive step toward lizzy, but stopped right behind her, unsure of what to say. she seemed to relax, though, which made james feel a little better.

thomas stepped forward, too, and grabbed james's hand behind lizzy's back. james squeezed his hand just as hamilton's attention switched to thomas and james.

"madison? jefferson?" he looked shocked. "what are you doing with eliza?" his gaze darted back to lizzy. "what are you doing with them? if they're doing anything to you, eliza-"

"elizabeth." lizzy's voice was sharp, but her eyes were pooled with tears. "my name is elizabeth." almost without thinking, james let go of thomas's hand and reached for lizzy's, but she pulled away.

a hurt look darted across james's face just as a triumphant one flared up on hamilton's.

"eliza... beth," alexander's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, but still held a determined edge. "if they're doing anything to you-"

"we're not!" thomas blurted. james squeezed his hand to calm him, but it didn't really help. "we gave her a place to stay after she saw you-"

"thomas." it was amazing how easily one soft word from lizzy could make thomas go quiet. "enough."

looking chastised, but still angry, thomas nodded. behind lizzy, james leaned into him.

"alexander." that was the first time lizzy had used his name, and james could see the hope flash up in his eyes. he worriedly fiddled with his fingers in thomas's, but didn't speak up.

"i do not want to see you again until i am okay with it. i do not want to hear your voice. do not call me. do not text me. i am perfectly fine with thomas and james and-" here, her voice broke for the first time, and james felt a pang in his chest. "and i would rather not have you destroying it."

hamilton looked so crushed it was almost sad, but james knew what he had done, and couldn't find it in him to feel bad. as hamilton continued to stand there, shell-shocked and staring, thomas stepped forward.

"you heard her. go."

hamilton turned and fled. as soon as he was out of sight, lizzy collapsed into james's arms.


	9. Chapter 9

"i'm sorry, i'm so sorry," eliza wailed from where she sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and slightly squished between james and thomas.

"no, no, elizabeth, don't-"

"don't call me that." eliza interrupted james. "that's alex's punishment. i'm still lizzy to you guys."

thomas breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped one arm around eliza's shoulders. "lizzy."

she looked up at him and immediately started apologizing again. "i don't mean to be a burden. i'm so sorry. i don't- i don't know what happened and-"

"lizzy."

eliza bit her lip. "yeah, thomas?"

"don't worry about it. it's okay. none of us was expecting him to be there."

"and it's understandable for you to have a big reaction," james added softly. "if it makes you feel any better, he looked pretty scared when he ran away."

thomas let out a low laugh, and eliza joined in. "i barely remember it," she giggled. "what did i say?"

thomas took a deep breath. "well," he began, and james laughed.

"basically, you told him to fuck off, and not to bother you while you were here," james finished.

"he looked like he'd seen a ghost," thomas snorted.

eliza let out a soft chuckle. "unfortunately, though," she muttered, "all of my things are still at his apartment."

"we could go get it!" james volunteered immediately, already standing.

"james-" eliza cut in. "maybe i should let alexander know first?"

"fuck him," thomas muttered darkly, then shook his head. "sorry. it's just- he shouldn't have so much control over you still."

"thomas, it's his apartment..." eliza replied, but her lips were curled into a small smile. "how's this? i let him know, and you two can go get my things while i go to the café down the road and pick up a job application? and do not tell me that i don't need a job," she added, pointing at james, who had been about to protest. "if i'm living here, i should be helping out."

"liz-"

"i will help, thomas!" despite the sharp words, she had a grin on her face, and thomas couldn't help grinning back. "and after that, i'll meet you guys back at alex's to help."

james bit his lip. "are you sure you want to?" he asked. "you don't have to if you don't want to."

"with you two there, i can do anything," eliza replied honestly. she pulled out her phone to text alex and missed the blushes that covered both boys' faces.

· · ·

application in hand, eliza stood outside the door of her old apartment, staring at the key in her hand. she never thought she would be this scared to enter her own apartment. never thought she would be this betrayed by alex. she slowly ran over thumb over the jagged side of the key before placing it in the lock and slowly turning it.

she closed the door behind her as quietly as she could, although it probably wouldn't have made any difference. even from the doorway, she could hear shouting from within the apartment.

"-what the fuck you're doing in my apartment!"

"james already told you! we're here to to get lizzy's things!"

"her name is elizabeth! and why are you here? where the fuck is she?"

"i'm right here."

eliza stood in the doorway, surveying the room. alex stood in the corner, hands clenched into fists. his face had been red, but it was now drained of color. james had his arm on thomas's, attempting to calm him, while thomas had his arms crossed and his forehead furrowed in a glare.

eliza's gaze lingered on alex for a moment, then she turned to thomas and james with a smile. "did you get my things?"

thomas opened his mouth, still glaring at alex, but james cut him off. "almost, but we couldn't get the things out of your dresser."

without thinking, eliza walked over and kissed james and thomas on the cheek. "i can get that," she smiled.

she turned to start boxing her clothes up, not noticing the surprised blushes on james and thomas's faces, nor the shocked glare that alexander shot at them. it wasn't until she reached her last drawer and pulled out two sheets of paper that she seemed to notice any of the boys at all.

when she grabbed hold of the two papers, her cheerful façade seemed to crack for a moment, and she let out a choked sob, poorly excused as a cough. alexander looked over at her, at first looking worried, but then his expression morphed into something like surprise.

"hey," he piped up, his voice almost cheerful, "i can take those!"

he reached out, but his fingers had barely brushed the corner of the paper when eliza yanked them away.

"if i recall," she said, not looking away from the papers, "my father paid for this."

alexander looked as though he were about to protest, but shrunk back at the cold glare that james shot his way.

swallowing hard, eliza shoved the papers into a box, then picked it up. "let's go, boys," she said, forcing a semi-smile at james and thomas. they both wore expressions of worry, but eliza marched past them and out of the apartment.

the boys followed closely behind, carrying two boxes each. none of them spoke a word to alexander.

 **[i was re-reading this chapter and i high-key forgot what had happened in the story so far i think i probably need more sleep lmao. anyway, what do you think the papers were, eh?]**


	10. Chapter 10

eliza pursed her lips as she dropped the final box onto the coffee table in james and thomas's living room.

"thanks for all of your help, guys."

james and thomas were seated on the couch, each having carried one box and then stopped to "take a break." (their break consisted of them sitting on the couch and watching eliza struggle with the rest of the boxes) now they just grinned up at her innocently.

"no problem, mon amour," thomas replied smoothly, and eliza frowned.

"what's that mean?" it was official now; she hated french-speaking people. her sisters had both learned the language, but eliza had preferred music and choir lessons over foreign languages.

"it means 'my friend,'" james replied quickly, elbowing thomas in the ribs. "but it's... well, basically, he's teasing you."

eliza rolled her eyes, leaning against a stack of boxes. "where are we going to put all these?" she asked, dropping the subject quickly.

"uh..." thomas frowned and glanced at james, who shrugged.

"i don't really need a permanent place to keep them, just until i've worked enough to move out," she added quickly. "i don't want to be a bother for too long."

"oh, you're not a bother, lizzy, we love having you here!" james interjected.

"yeah, it's nice having someone here to wash the dishes and do laundry an- ow!" thomas yelped as eliza tossed one of her books at him, hitting him square in the forehead.

"hey! what w-" thomas was cut off by a knock at the door.

"who is it?" thomas called out, standing up, but eliza beat him to the door.  
"

pizza!" a female voice called out, sounding overly cheerful, and somehow familiar to eliza. she frowned, turning the door handle, intending to inform the woman that she had the wrong apartment. but as soon as the door was open, a blur of yellow burst into the apartment.  
"-and peggy!" the girl laughed, and eliza gasped, turning to hug her sister and almost squashing the two boxes of pizza she held in front of her chest.  
"peggy! i didn't know you were coming! how did you know where to find me?" eliza laughed, hugging her sister tightly.  
peggy dropped the pizza on one of eliza's boxes before squeezing her older sister in a tight embrace. "easy, i just asked alex. he was quick to answer, but you should have heard him go on and on about-" she broke off, seeming to suddenly realize that james and thomas were there.  
"oh! alex didn't mention that your new roommates were so... hot. you have to introduce me, eliza!"  
peggy let out a loud laugh, while eliza, james, and thomas all blushed.  
"i'm james. madison. james madison. pleasure to meet you." james held out his hand for a polite handshake, but he was quickly pulled into a hug.  
"so then you," peggy said as she pulled away from james, "must be thomas."  
"that's me!" he raised his fist, and peggy bumped it.  
"well, i'm peggy, and i brought pizza and i'm here for the tea so let's go!"  
ignoring the stacks of boxes around them, the four collapsed into the floor, pizza boxes in the center of their almost-circle. they each managed to grab a slice before peggy started drilling them.  
"yes, peg, i'm sleeping in a different room from them."  
"sorry i didn't tell you we broke up. i actually haven't told anyone yet besides them-"  
"miss schuyler-"  
"oh my god call me peggy!"  
"okay, peggy, do we need to tip you for delivering the pizza?"

they had finished a complete pizza and were making their way through the second one before peggy finally started asking about the breakup.  
"why did you two break up? i thought you two were, like, the otp of all otps!"

eliza cringed slightly. "yeah, well... we're not." she wasn't sure why she was so worried about answering. it wasn't as though peggy would judge her, it's just that she tended to speak before thinking.

"seriously, what could you have possibly some to make him hate you so much?"

case in point.

"he hates me?" eliza was astonished, but also more than a little pissed. "he- he has no right!"

peggy grimaced as james put a comforting hand on eliza's knee. "i'm not sure, really, if he hates you or himself. it was a little hard to tell."

eliza fell silent at that. she didn't want alex to hate anyone. but that probably couldn't be helped, and besides, he had messed up.

"it's fine, pegs. its just- he cheated on me." eliza almost felt ashamed of herself as she muttered the words.

glancing around, she saw james staring sadly into his lap, thomas clenching his fists, and peggy staring at her, mouth wide. she forced a smile. "but it's all good now."

noting that none of them seemed all that assured, eliza sighed. "hey, why don't we play a game or something?"

peggy let out a gasp. "never have i ever!" she shrieked, and that was that. and suddenly the smile wasn't so forced.

· · ·

"never have i ever... had a boyfriend," peggy giggled. at first they had just been using their fingers to count how many things they had done, but it didn't take long before thomas revealed the vodka and shot glasses, and peggy was already wasted.

then again, so was eliza.

eliza, thomas, and john all took a shot, and eliza gaped at them. "you've had a boyfriend?"

thomas and james just blinked slowly, and peggy snorted.

"'liza, babe, i think you're losing your touch," she laughed. eliza just flashed her a confused look.

"lizzy... james and i are dating."

eliza's eyes suddenly widened, and her mouth made a little 'o' shape. then she let out a snort. "you two?"

james's face was a deep red, a color eliza had never seen on someone's face before, and thomas was fidgeting awkwardly.

"y- yeah, us," thomas replied, but his voice was a little unsteady, as though he were nervous.

eliza burst into giggles. the boys shot her embarrassed looks, and she clapped a hand to her mouth, attempting to stifle her laughter.

"i'm sorry!" she exclaimed, her voice partially muffled by her hand. "i just- i can't believe i never realized that you two were dating!"

thomas and james exchanged a look. thomas pursed his lips, but he couldn't stop a smile from breaking his façade. james, on the other hand, still looked highly embarrassed.

when eliza still struggled to contain her laughter, james stood and ran off. peggy gaped after him, and thomas stood as if to follow, but eliza stopped him.

"let me," she said softly, her laughter suddenly gone. "i am the reason he's upset after all."

thomas hesitated but let her go. eliza quickly made her way to the bathroom and tapped lightly on the door. "james?"

she could picture him on the other side, scrambling to hide his years before-

james opened the door, just a crack

eliza caught a glimpse of a tear-streaked face and red eyes. "james i'm so sorry, i never meant to make fun of you. i just- i didn't know."

james seemed to hesitate a moment, glancing down before he opened the door further.

as soon as she could fit through, eliza burst in and wrapped her arms around james's neck sloppily, still tipsy.

james immediately wrapped his arms around her. "i'm sorry, i'm sorry," he mumbled. "i'm a mess when i'm drunk."

for some reason, that made both of them start to giggle. "we're drunk," eliza reiterated, laughing harder.

they quickly collapsed in a giggling, drunk mess on the floor, which is how thomas and peggy found them a few minutes later.

 **[woahhhh** **the chapters are getting longerrrr** **yay! also the papers will show up** _ **next**_ **chapter cause I didn't want le angsty** **angst yet]**


	11. Chapter 11

when eliza woke, it was still dark outside. she was still on the floor, her legs on james's chest and her head resting against thomas's hip. her hand was wrapped in her younger sister's grip.

groaning softly, eliza pulled her hand away and stood, stepping over peggy to get to the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

when she re-emerged, she found her sister staring up at her with wide eyes.

"did i wake you?" eliza mouthed.

peggy responded by tapping one finger against the bathroom door. ah. so that was what had woken her up. "sorry," eliza hissed.

peggy nodded, rolling over and curling into a fight ball. eliza smiled, then settled herself down between james and thomas again.

as she closed her eyes, she put her head on james's chest and laid her legs over thomas's before falling back into a peaceful slumber.

· · ·

when she woke for the second time, peggy and james were both gone, and she now had a blanket under her head. smiling softly, she moved her legs off of thomas, who rolled over and curled into a fight ball. then she sat up and immediately laid back down in an attempt to ease the pounding in her head. it didn't help.

she pushed herself up into a sitting position, groaning slightly. when the headache didn't get any worse, she slowly stood and, after covering thomas with the blanket, made her way into the kitchen, where she was immediately bombarded by both peggy.

"here's an aspirin and some water and breakfast is on the table." how peggy was managing to smile so brightly was beyond eliza. he sister had easily drunk twice as much as any of them, yet seemed to be functioning the best.

quickly swallowing the pill, eliza sat at the table next to james, who was sitting with his head on the table. she lightly tapped his shoulder, and he grunted, confirming that he felt about as good as she did. thankfully, though, the aspirin was already kicking in, and she managed to eat a few bites of the eggs peggy had prepared.

she was just about to start cleaning up when thomas walked in, looking far worse than any of them. his usually fluffy hair was drooping and tangled, probably from sleeping on the floor, and his shirt was somehow on backward. he looked as though eliza could poke him, and he would drop dead.

peggy noticed, and smirked as she handed him two aspirin and a glass of water, then directed him to the table.

eliza hurried to the sink, hiding her smile as she washed her dishes. but thomas knew.

"don't laugh at me, lizzy," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. "it's not my fault i've done a lot of things."

eliza's lip trembled with the effort of holding back a retort, but it didn't matter. peggy beat her to it.

"actually, thomas, i think it is," she smirked, setting a plate of eggs in front of him. "but whatever you say."

he just grunted.

· · ·

"well, i can take some of these back to my apartment, although you'll have to let me know what's what."

"they're labeled, pegster."

after breakfast, they all seemed to be doing better, even thomas, and now they were trying to figure out what to do with eliza's things.

"i totally knew that," peggy fibbed as she turned the box around, reading the label as thomas read his box aloud.

"unmentionables," he muttered. "do i even want to know?"

"just my underwear, that's all." eliza laughed out loud, lifting another box to balance it on her head. it stayed for a quick second, but soon collapsed into eliza's arms, spilling out two sheets of paper. james hurriedly picked them up as she set the box down.

"ooh, what are- plane tickets?" he frowned, glancing from eliza to the papers.

eliza shrugged, buying her lip. "ah. al- alexander and i were going to go on a trip," she muttered. "to south carolina. for our three year anniversary... i-" she let out a choked sound.

"i thought he might propose there."

there was an awkwardly sympathetic pause before eliza cleared her throat.

"but!" she said, forcing a cheerful smile and lifting the box back up, "everything is all good now. i'm better without him." she glanced over at james and thomas to give them a grateful smile, but they seemed to be buried in an intense conversation. she shrugged and walked toward the door, turning to her sister for help.

"speaking of which, i need to figure out where i'm keeping everything."

peggy opened her mouth to reply, but james cut her off, seemingly done with his whispered discussion. "actually, lizzy," he began, fidgeting with his hands nervously. "we were wondering- i mean, thomas and i were thinking- maybe-" james glanced to thomas for help.

"what he means is, we were wondering if maybe you would like to move in with us- permanently?"

eliza was shocked. she hadn't really expected anything like that. sure, she, thomas, and james had become a lot closer lately, but moving in with them? she hardly knew them.

still, james was always so sweet, and thomas was eager to rush to her aid, no matter what was going on. and they had both looked so nervous when they were asking...

eliza glanced at peggy, who shrugged. "it's up to you," she mouthed.

eliza looked back at james and thomas, setting the box down gently.

"i would love to."


	12. Chapter 12

"i'm sorry, what?"

"elizabeth schuyler, please tell me that this is a joke."

"well, dear, don't forget that you're always welcome at home. and don't let those boys do anything you don't want, okay?"

angelica, philip, and catherine schuyler, respectively, after being informed of eliza's current position.

· · ·

"angie, please, you've got to understand-"

"oh, i understand plenty," angelica growled from where she sat, across from eliza at a small table at seabury's, the local café. "i understand that alexander hamilton is a complete and utter douchebag and that as soon as i can, i'm going to get gil to kill him."

"ange, please don't," eliza pleaded. "it's not worth-"

"don't! do not say that!" angelica was no longer looking at eliza. she had pulled out her phone and was furiously typing something. "you are worth it, elizabeth schuyler. do you understand?"

"angelica!" eliza finally snapped. "thank you, and i appreciate it, really, but please! don't bother laf with this. alex isn't worth his time."

eliza cringed internally. she had been thinking more and more lately about forgiving alexander. she would never really trust him again, and she sure as hell wasn't getting back with him, but maybe forgiving him wasn't completely out of the picture.

of course, she couldn't tell anyone that, because they would all think she was crazy.

angelica frowned. "you're right," she finally muttered, putting the cell phone back on the table. "still, i think i might pay him a visit sometime this week."

on the inside, eliza was spilling everything to angelica- everything about wanting to forgive him and maybe attempt friendship. but on the outside, she just shrugged.

"just don't kill him, okay?"

angelica met eliza's eyes and suddenly softened, reaching across the table and taking eliza's hands in her own. "i'm so sorry, 'liza. you didn't deserve this."

eliza shrugged, struggling to hide the tears in her eyes. "i love you, angie," she muttered, squeezing her sister's hands.

angelica gave her a soft smile and squeezed back before changing the subject.

"so... tell me about your new roommates, huh?"

· · ·

"elizabeth, you know we would never turn you away. why on earth would you think that it was necessary to move in with two men?"

eliza groaned. she had been trying to explain this to her father for hours, and didn't seem to be making any progress.

"daddy, we're just friends. that is possible, you know."

"just wait until they're comfortable with you, eliza. they'll be begging you for things that even alexander would never have thought of."

philip's dark glare said everything that he wasn't saying out loud: that he had never approved of alexander anyway; that eliza was too trusting and therefore too easy to hurt; that he did not believe in her ability to care for herself. eliza knew that he thought those things, but refused to acknowledge it. she was, after all, grown woman and could deal with her own issues.

"dad, i'm staying with thomas and james. end of story. you don't have to like it if you don't want to, but that's how it's going to go."

philip glared but didn't object, which seemed like a triumph in eliza's eyes.

· · ·

"thanks mum. i really appreciate it." eliza smiled at her computer screen, where the somewhat fuzzy image showed her mother's smiling face against a hotel room's backdrop. catherine was on a business trip in virginia, and would be there for almost another month. eliza had considered waiting until she came home to share the news with her mother, but she didn't want anyone else to accidentally let it slip before eliza had a chance to bring it up.

hence, the skype call.

"something tells me your father isn't happy with this," catherine chuckled, eyeing her daughter's expression. "i assume you've told him?"

eliza nodded wearily. "'just wait until they're comfortable,'" she quoted her father, rolling her eyes slightly. "i think he thinks that james and thomas are animals." she scoffed and shook her head. "he's not happy, no, but he didn't tell me i couldn't, either."

catherine smiled warmly. "he'll warm up to the idea, i'm sure. they sound like wonderful young men and i'm sure that once your father meets them, he'll approve." she offered eliza an encouraging smile, and eliza grinned.

"you're right." she stifled a yawn. "sorry, mum, it's getting late and i still have a bit of unpacking to do. i'll call you tomorrow." she blew a kiss and hung up.

 **[is this me, writing random shit while I try to brainstorm?** _ **never.**_  
 **okay that is exactly what this is I'm sorry]**


	13. Chapter 13

"let this promise in me start-"

angelica stood on eliza's new bed, flanked on either side by her sisters. the bed was surrounded by boxes, many overflowing with clothes and the like, and none of them unpacked.

"-like an anthem in my heart!"

despite all that, the sisters were belting out the words to one of their favorite songs. angelica held a hair brush as a microphone, giggling as she belted out the words to the final song from the greatest showman.

"from now on, from now on!"

in a burst of excitement, eliza leaped from the bed, almost landing on a box of clothes. her sisters collapsed on the bed, their singing overtaken by fits of giggling. it didn't matter if the youngest of them was already twenty-one, they always had the best times together.

suddenly the song was picked up again.

"from now on, from now on,"

thomas burst through the door and slid to his knees, dramatically finishing the song.

"home again!"

the sisters let out cheers, eliza clapping from her spot on the floor. thomas stood and took a bow, then turned the volume down on eliza's phone.

"getting a lot of unpacking done, girls?" thomas cocked an accusing eyebrow at them, but his smirk told them he was teasing.

eliza clapped a hand to her chest in mock outrage. "only as much as you, tommy," she replied, sticking her nose in the air as her sisters giggled.

"come on, james made dinner," thomas muttered, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "what are we going to do with you girls?" he sighed.

"you sound like pop!" peggy laughed, elbowing her oldest sister. "doesn't he, angel?"

angelica let out a laugh. "he does!"

thomas rolled his eyes, walking back out of the room, but it wasn't long before he had stuck his head back in. "oh, lizzy, darling, we have something for you. just, so you know." he ducked back out of the room before eliza could see his blush and before he had a chance to see hers. that did not, however, stop her sisters from noticing.

"ooh," peggy giggled. "i wonder what they've got?"

angelica laughed. "i think our little lizzy has a crush on thomas!"

"i do not!"

eliza's sisters collapsed into fits of giggles. "mhm, sure..." peggy nodded, only holding back laughter for a moment.

"it's true! it's just..." eliza bit her lip. what was it, exactly? "i don't want to take so much from them is all."

angelica pursed her lips. "well, it certainly seems like they're willing to offer it. besides, if you won't take it, i will." she flashed a grin at her sister.

peggy scoffed. "if lizzy won't take it, i'm going to. mister fancy-pants frenchman buys you anything you could ever want. it's my turn to be spoiled."

eliza rolled her eyes. "do not have this argument again, please," she muttered, causing both of her sisters to whirl around to face her.

"'this argument'?" angelica repeated. "what do you mean 'this argument'?"

"'gilbert is worse than hercules because it's long-distance' 'well hercules is worse because he's an actual working man'," eliza mimicked her sisters. "can we just agree that all boys suck for some reason or another? some more than others," she added, thinking of alexander.

at that, both of her sisters sobered up. "sorry, 'liza," peggy murmured, sliding to the floor. she wrapped an arm around her sister, but eliza quickly shrugged it off, burying any rising feelings brought up by the thought of alexander.

"come on, thomas said dinner's ready." eliza stood, offering a hand to peggy and leaning her head against angelica's shoulder. "and it's probably not macaroni, since jemmy was the one cooking."

· · ·

eliza was right- dinner had, instead of macaroni, been ramen and grilled cheese; apparently the men of the house were incapable of actual cooking. after teasing james, they had all eaten quickly.

as soon as peggy finished (eliza was pretty sure that she had inhaled the noodles) she looked expectantly at their hosts.

it took them a few minutes. thomas kept glancing at peggy, then down at his food, and james seemed completely oblivious to the look peggy was giving him. at one point, thomas cleared his throat awkwardly, causing eliza to throw a glance his way. when she noticed the look her sister was giving him, she stifled a giggle. "she wants to know what your surprise is," eliza translated with a giggle.

"oh!" thomas flushed deep red. "right. i almost forgot."

he elbowed james, who snapped out of whatever daydream he had been buried in. "what?"

thomas rolled his eyes and muttered something to him. james's eyes widened, and he stood up quickly. "right! i'll, uh, i'll be right back."

for some reason, an awkward silence fell over the table. the room hadn't exactly been booming before, but now they were all just waiting for james to return. it was like that almost-uncomfortable, tense silence while you're waiting for someone to open a gift that you're not one hundred percent sure they'll like.

thankfully, james didn't take long. he soon returned, now with an envelope in his hand. eliza's sisters moved their chairs closer to hers in anticipation, while james and thomas sat on the edges of their chairs, looking nervous. james carefully laid the envelope in the center of the table.

peggy nudged eliza, and she reached out to grab it, being deliberately slow just to aggravate her sisters.

finally, angelica broke. "just open it already!" she groaned, getting a laugh from eliza and lightening the tense mood considerably.

fingers under the flap of the envelope, eliza paused. "just so you know, whatever this is... it doesn't matter enough that i would hate you two," she tried to comfort james and thomas. "just so you know that. i'm extremely grateful to both of you, and i'm never good at gift-giving, so i'll understand if it's not perfect. but i have no doubt that it will be." she tilted her chin, giving them a soft smile.

james seemed to relax a bit, but thomas seemed tenser, if anything. "just remember that this was all james's idea. if you don't like it. if you do... it was my idea."

eliza laughed as she pulled the envelope the rest of the way open and pulled out three pieces of paper.

"we're going to france!?"


End file.
